Improvement in coffins



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL CLARKE, OF IPSWIGH, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN coFFlNs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,182,'dated July 10, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL CLARKE, of Ipswich, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ooftins; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a transverse section, of a coffin provided with my invention. Fig. 3 is a top view of it without its cover. Fig. 4 is an under-side view, and Fig'. 5 an edge View, of the cover. Fig. 6 is a view of the head end of the coffin.

The purpose of my invention is to enable the cover to be either easily xed to or removed from the case or remainder of the coflin, and this without having to resort to the usual means of fixing the cover in placethat is, by means of wood-screws going down through it and into the case.

In carrying out my invention I project from the inner surface of each side hoard, a, of the case A of a cofin two or any other suitable number of studs, b b, the same being arranged near the upper edge of such side board, and having heads or not. These studs may be common wood-screws screwed into the side board, and so as to have their shanks extend from it a short distance.

To the inner surface, B, of the cover of the coffin I fasten a series of notched catches, C C, one for each of the said studs. Each of such catches is a bent metallic plate having a notch, c, arranged in it and opening out of one edge of it, the arrangement of the plates and their notches being as represented in the drawings.

The lid ofthe cover B is shown at B as made and hinged to the cover in the usual way.- From this lid a tenon, d, projects, there being a corresponding hole or mortise, e, for its reception, formed in the head f of the coffin.

A hook, h, may be applied to the head f, to engage with a stud, g', extending from thelid, such being accessories common to a coffin and its lid.

On raising the lid and moving the cover endwise toward the head of the coflin the catches C C may be drawn out of engagement with their studs b b, so as to enable the cover to be lifted off the case.

By placing the cover on the top of the case and moving the cover toward the case the catches will be locked upon their studs so as to hold the cover in place, the studs and catches determiningV the extent of movement of the cover.

Vh-en the lid is closed down the tenon d, by entering the mortise c, will prevent any endwise movement of the cover.

Instead of the tenon and mortise, any equivalent thereof' may be employed, such as, for instance, a cleat fixed to the lower side of the cover and so as to project therefrom and rest against the head of the cofn.

The hook serves to keep the lid .closed and the tenon in place in its mortise while the coffin may be in movement. Thus the hook answers to prevent accidental displacement of the cover, which might result were the lid thrown up during any movement of the coffin.

The catches C C should be so arranged as to` rest against the side boards of the coffin when the cover is in place. Thus, besides holding the cover to the case when it is locked thereto, they serve to keep it from being moved laterally thereon.

When screws are employed to fasten down the cover of a cofu they are apt to split the wood or run out of it, so as to mar its appearance. They are very objectionable on this account, and also by reason of the amount of labor and length of time generally required to turn them into and out ot' place. Besides, their heads are liable to become injured or broken by the tool employed to revolve them. Therefore it has been very desirable to obtain some ready means of fixing the cover to a coffin without having to employ screws to go through such cover and into the side board of the case. My invention completely answers the purpose, as has been demonstrated by its practical application in numerous instances.

I claim- The combination, as well as the arrangement, of the series of studs b b b b andthe series of notched catches C C C G with the cover and case of the coflin.

DANIEL CLARKE Witness-es 4 R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr. 

